I mean that, given our obviously opposing viewpoints, it looks unlikely that we are going to find some common ground to agree on regarding this issue.

: Technically it is not be hard to but maybe too long of a dialouge for the
: video game. Keep in mind that stuff is made for movies all the time and it
: gets cut during editing. The storyboards for the game on Bungie's Truth
: and Reconcilliation aren't representative of the game.

It was just an example. The point I'm making is that there is no logical reason to leave out something like that, if it was intended, given the ease with which it could have been included.

: Possibly.

Three years in the making? I think they would have realised. Okay, that's assumption. But a logical one, given Bungie's track record for intricate and detailed story writing.

: However, Bloke #2 might have gotten a promotion because Bloke #2 made sure
: that Halo shipped on it's planned shipping date where Halo made it in time
: for the Christmas buying season at $50 a pop and all the Blokes had enough
: cash flow to feed their family's hungry mouths. Part of the reality of the
: video game is that people do this for a living. They have a budget that
: they must stick to. They have a product that they must deliver and the
: decision on what to produce is based on what the aggregate customer wants,
: which in this case he wants to be thouroughly entertained.

No offense meant, but I think you're just grasping at straws here.

1) Scripting and recording a basic exchange to cover the issue would have taken a day or two at most. If that. Given the amount of voiced lines already in Halo, how long do you honestly think this would have taken, over and above the other dialogue?

2) This is a game that's taken three years to create. Recording and including an exchange to cover the issue of contacting Foe Hammer or any other UNSC forces wouldn't have been tacked on the end. It would have been buried within the normal development cycle. It would have had a negligible if not zero impact on a final delivery date.

: However there is a 3). 3) would be that this is a video game and story
: development might take a back seat to gameplay. A lot of people didn't
: like Metal Gear Solid because it felt like a movie with a few moments of
: gameplay. Now MGS1 had a lot of plot development. MGS2 was like a bad
: movie with mediocre gameplay. Halo has a nice balance, it is mostly
: gameplay and enough story to keep you interested (especially you!, lol).
: Halo also outsold MGS2 IIRC. Halo's only criticism is that the rooms are
: monotonous and IMO the game engine is way too buggy. Note to Ferrex: I did
: like the Library. It was lots of fun.

Anything is possible, yes. But I do think you're going off at tangents here to try and find any excuse for an officially sanctioned 'assumed' exchange. Again, no intended offense, but that's how I see it.

Let get back to the story and look at the facts:

1) For the first five levels there is a considerable amount of radio chatter. Some of it is pertinent to the game play; some of it is not, but enhances the atmosphere of the game's scenario for the player.

2) Cortana is then in Halo's core for two levels.

3) After she leaves the core, there is absolutely no communication with anybody else, barring Keyes, for almost three whole levels. And why Keyes? Because his neural implants are necessary to put her plan into action.

Given Cortana's apparent 'authority' to issue orders to troops, don't you think it's just a little strange that she makes no attempt to contact or 'rally' the remaining troops at any point over these last three levels? Not once..?

Even from an 'external' story writing process, it make no sense to change the fundamentals of the story style like this, unless you intend it to mean something.

I simply can't accept that any story relevant dialogue was purposefully excluded from the game because of time constraints. Neither can I see any sound reason behind Bungie including any amount of non plot-centric dialogue in preference to dialogue which is directly linked to the plot.

Unless it was done for a story specific purpose.

I do accept though that I could be wrong on this issue. It's always a possibility, and in a way I hope I am, since I fundamentally like the Cortana character and the easy-going banter between her and Master Chief.

However, every logical part of me says that Bungie are definitely up to something with this character.

: I think speculating isn't worth it when we know that there will be a Halo 2
: and possibly more Halo titles to come and maybe even some tie-ins to the
: original Marathon series. I am just going to sit back and see what unfolds
: at the playful minds at Bungie.

Sentient beings have always had a tendency to speculate. We live in a world of 'what if's'.

The fun part is seeing if you can work it out prior to actually being told. But I accept your viewpoint.

: I don't know enough about the English language if that is legal.

It is legal. You're effectively arguing semantics here. And at that point, it's just down to personal interpretation.

: I mean the automatic landing or trajectory program to get on Halo that
: Cortana leaves subroutines for.

Ah, right.

Then it's worth noting that Keyes specifically tells her:

"Lock in a selection of landing zones, upload them to my neural lace, and then sort yourself for a hard transfer."